Plainville, Bellwether For 44 Years, Doesn't Ring True

Just Plain Smart

Plainville Knows How To Pick 'em

November 09, 1994|By MARY K. FEENEY; Courant Staff Writer

Plainly, they were wrong this time.

Plainville, the state's gubernatorial bellwether, threw its support behind Democrat William E. Curry Jr. Tuesday, but it was clear as the night wore on that the town's 44- year winning streak picking gubernatorial races was over.

Unofficial results in Plainville showed that Curry received 2,210 votes, followed by 1,725 for Independence Party candidate Tom Scott, 1,375 for Republican John G. Rowland and 1,186 for A Connecticut Party's Eunice S. Groark.

With the two front-runners, Rowland and Curry, only percentage points apart earlier in the evening, no one would predict if Plainville's record would hold. But at that point, it seemed in jeopardy.

Victor Staskavich, another Democrat, said he had no predictions about the outcome but was glad for the party's victories in Plainville, which included Curry's win and Charlotte Koskoff's win over Republican Congresswoman Nancy L. Johnson -- even though Johnson easily won re-election in the rest of the 6th Congressional District.

Marilyn Warnat, a campaign coordinator for Curry, said it was the first time in years that a Democrat has taken any 6th District town from Nancy Johnson.

``We're just happy for what we've got here,'' Staskavich said.

An electric cheer went up at Democratic headquarters near the center of town when the early-evening results were announced. But at GOP headquarters, despite Rowland's lead in the race at that point, the mood was not jubilant.

Robert Ziegler, chairman of the Republican town committee, said there were no bright spots for the GOP in the Plainville balloting.

He said that Scott ``without a doubt'' had an effect on Rowland's support in Plainville. ``He beat everyone except Curry,'' Ziegler said.

The number of parties also contributed, he said, along with the fact that Plainville is a heavily Democratic town.

Scott's support was foreshadowed by a vote last week at Plainville High School, in which students overwhelmingly favored the Independence Party candidate.

Pat Paul of Plainville was carrying a Scott sign outside the firehouse polling place on West Main Street. ``I have never gotten out with a sign in my life,'' she said. ``I love Scott. He's the most honest person I've ever met in my life.''

In an informal poll conducted in town last week, many of those questioned were undecided.

That's partly because many of them truly wished they had seen favorite daughter Pauline R. Kezer's name on the ballot Tuesday. Kezer, the secretary of the state, was defeated by Rowland in the September Republican primary. For many in this town of 17,000, any other candidate was a second choice.

Plainville is a Democratic town, with 3,906 Democrats and 2,085 Republicans. Unaffiliated voters, however, who number about 3,000, outnumber the Republicans. The proportions roughly mirror the breakdown statewide.

But late Tuesday neither the passion of the voters nor their participation in large numbers could save the quality that had distinguished them for more than four decades. Tuesday night, they chose the loser.